CALL FOR ARTISTS
Deep Vision Dance Company presents….
4th Annual
AKIMBO
Site-Specific Dance and Movement Art Festival
Baltimore’s Station North Arts & Entertainment District
PROPOSALS DUE: MARCH 27, 2015
Who we are looking for:
●Dancers & Choreographers
●Theater Artists
●Performance / Movement Artists
●Musicians, Visual Artists, and Literary Artists
that collaborate with movers or have a movement focus to their work.
What we are looking for:
●MOVEMENT Based Projects
●Original and Innovative Work
●Projects with a strong artistic voice and vision
Projects with 2 or more of these:
●A site-specific focus on architecture, space, or sense of place
●A site-specific focus on history, social issues, or community
●Projects experimenting with audience flow and/or interaction
●Interdisciplinary projects involving dance, music, visual art, theater, poetry
●Strong visual elements (art installation, costumes, sets, props, etc.)
●Strong musical/sound elements (sound installation, live music, etc.)
●If outside, projects suitable/adaptable for unexpected weather conditions
Questions? ~ Email the AKIMBO Staff at
AKIMBO 2015 Artistic Selection Panel
Valerie Branchhas performed and taught extensively both nationally and internationally. She has worked across the U.S, in South Africa, St. George’s, Grenada, and Denmark. She has worked with Daniel Burkholder/ The Playground, alight dance theater, Dance Box Theater, Lesole’s Dance Project and many others.
She is the Founder and Artistic Director of VB Dance Ensemble, a contemporary dance company focused on bringing social and cultural awareness and change through the power of dance.
Photo Credit: City Digital Photography
Joshua Legg is a performer, choreographer, director and writer whose teaching credits include Harvard University, Suffolk University, Northwestern State University of Louisiana and Shenandoah Conservatory. He was worked with ACDA, ADF’s Paul Taylor Project, the Dance Teacher Summit, and various universities, studios, and high schools.
His book, Introduction to Modern Dance Techniques, grew out of his writing for Dance Teacher and Dance Spirit magazines. Joshua is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Photo credit: Josiah Kennedy
Leah Stein, originally from the Hudson Valley New York, has been living and making dances in Philadelphia since 1987. She has created dances on site and on stage throughout the US, in Indonesia, Canada, Poland, Romania, Japan and Scotland. Stein has collaborated with Sean Feldman, Roko Kawai, Germaine Ingram and Gus Solomonsjr, sculptors Jeanne Jaffe and Edward Dormer, poet Josie Foo, and composers David Lang and Pauline Oliveros.
She founded the Leah Stein Dance Company in 2001 and in 2004 established a program for annual local on site performance projects called “On Site Philadelphia.”
HOW DO I AKIMBO?:
Info Sessions about AKIMBO & the Proposal Process
Attend one of these sessions to see if AKIMBO is the right fit for your work. Learn about the proposal process and how the event is organized. We are open to new ideas and interdisciplinary works so please attend if you are unsure, curious, or have questions.
February 24, 2015 from 7:30-8:30pm
Liam’s in Station North, 22 West North Ave. 21201
March 8, 2015 from 1:00pm – 1:30pm (at end of the Liz Lerman workshop, see below)
Single Carrot Theater, 2600 North Howard St. 21218
March 14, 2015 from 2:00-4:00pm
Red Emma’s, 30 West North Ave. 21201
Step-by-Step Application Process
STEP 1 (Optional) ~ FREE Site-Specific Workshop with Liz LermanRSVP Today!
March 8, 2015 from 10:00am – 1:00pm
Single Carrot Theater, 2600 North Howard Street, 21218
RSVP to . Learn more about Liz Lerman at her website:
STEP 2 ~ General Application & Proposal Due March 27, 2015
Submit your General Application and
Proposal to
STEP 3 ~ If Accepted, Submit PaperworkDue May 15, 2015
Signed Agreement, Release Form, and Invoice.
More information about this step will be supplied
if your proposal is accepted.
AKIMBO Festival Structure
AKIMBO revolves around the main event, the AKIMBOArtwalk. There are two bookend events, the AKIMBO Teaser and the AKIMBO Spree. There are also the professional workshops, a community workshop, networking events for artists, and an after-party. Most events take place in or near Station North Arts & Entertainment District (SNAED).
AKIMBO Production Meeting
Wed June 3, 6:00-7:30pm OR Sat June 13, 10:00-11:30am
Accepted companies and artists learn all the basics of planning and implementing an AKIMBO site. This meeting is Mandatory for AKIMBO participation. Each company must have one Artistic Director or one Production Coordinator attend.
AKIMBO Teaser
Friday August 28, 2015 from 5:00-7:00PM (Call time 4:00pm)
This is a kickoff event were participating artists improvise/dance/move in a round robin fashion, cycling through 5 or more locations in the arts district. While performing, artists engage audiences passing by and hand out promotional materials for AKIMBOArtwalk. Participating artists must commit for the full 5:00-7:00pm time period.
AKIMBO Artwalk *MAIN EVENT *
Saturday September 12, 2015 from 1:00-6:00pm
This is the main event in which you are submitting a proposal for. Artists are paired with SNAED indoor or outdoor locations. Artists create an original site-specific performance/art installation/event. Performances may be improvisational or structured in nature.
This year’s festival is structured with two performance times: 1–3 pm and 4-6pm. Companies perform for only one scheduled time based on assigned venue/site. Sites may be a longer work or appear in a 20-30 minute loop. All performances should be continuous in nature - this means no start times or breaks. Proposals should work creatively within the parameters and constraints of AKIMBO.
The audience is invited to use the AKIMBO 2015 Map to set their own pace and explore different parts of AKIMBO. Audience members freely walk through various sites such as galleries, bars, cafes, warehouses, sidewalks, parks, etc. Yellow shirt volunteers assist with the flow of audience members from site-to-site, but companies/artists are strongly encouraged to consider audience flow when writing their proposal.
AKIMBO SPREE
Wednesday September 16, 2015 from 8:00-9:30pm (call time at 5:00pm)
Artists gather to present excerpts of their findings/presentations from the AKIMBOArtwalk. This celebratory event allows artists to share their artistry and to mingle with each other.
General Application & Proposal Guidelines
Eligibility
Artists in MD, D.C., PA, VA, and WV regions are invited to submit an application and a proposal. Only one proposal per company/artist is considered.
General Application
Each company or artist must submit a General Application including a link to a work sample. Applications with work samples showcasing site-specific work, choreography, or movement work related to your proposal may receive greater weight. This can be a rehearsal video. Please make sure your link works. Do not send a compilation or marketing video. Do not send a link to a company website in place of link to work sample. Incomplete applications are not considered.
Proposal Guidelines
Proposals should reflect a vision of your site-specific choreographic/art making process, such as developing movement, responding to a site, collaborating, and interacting with the audience. Experimentation and creative thinking are encouraged. Artistic quality is of high importance. A Selection Committee shall review all proposals submitted by the due date. We understand that your proposal may shift based on the venue/site matching process.
Proposals should:
●Be 200-400 words
●Describe your artistic and creative process
oSpecifically addressing the site-specific nature of akimbo
oHow you might adapt/develop your proposal once assigned a site
●Include 2 or more of these areas in your proposal:
(Describe specifically how these areas are central to your vision.)
oA site-specific focus on architecture, space, or sense of place
oA site specific focus on history, social issues, or community
oProjects experimenting with audience flow and/or interaction
oInterdisciplinary projects involving dance, music, visual art, theater, poetry
oStrong visual elements (art installation, costumes, sets, props, etc.)
oStrong musical/sound elements (sound installation, live music, etc.)
oIf outside, projects suitable/adaptable for unexpected weather conditions
The Artistic Selection panel will be looking for:
●MOVEMENT Based Projects
●Original and Innovative Work
●Projects with a strong artistic voice and vision
●Projects that fit within the parameters and constraints of AKIMBO
* Proposals are critiqued based on originality and quality.
It is not about the volume of ideas, but rather the clarity of your artistic vision. *
Notes & Additional Information
Benefits of Participation for Your Group/Company
●Exposure to a broad and diverse audience
●Visibility through media resources in the Greater Baltimore Region
●Access to unique venues in Station North Arts & Entertainment District
●Free master workshop led by world renowned artist, Liz Lerman,
●Network with a large variety of companies and artists
●Numerous stimuli for creative thinking and artistic risk taking
Contact Person
Please select one member of your organization/group to be the contact person. This person communicates with the designated venue contact and the AKIMBO staff. This person is responsible for submitting all required information.
Venue Captain
Each company is asked to designate a venue captain on their application. This individual wears a yellow shirt, assists with ushering people into and out of your site, talks up your performance, and uses a counter to determine the number of people attending your site. Other yellow shirt volunteers are throughout the streets, but the AKIMBO Team has found that each site benefits from a designated venue captain. Your venue captain knows the site and your vision better than anyone else!
Venue/Site and Company Matching
Companies or artists accepted by the AKIMBO 2015 Selection Committee are matched with available AKIMBO 2015 venues and sites. Sites and venues for AKIMBO are selected in advance based on availability, cost, liability management, and event deign. The Committee does everything possible to create a match that supports your proposal and vision. AKIMBO is about challenging where art happens. Artists are invited to embrace their match and welcome unique sites for creating original and compelling work.
Technical Information (Sound, Light, Etc.)
The production aspects of the Teaser, Artwalk, and Spree are minimal in nature. AKIMBO does not provide any production equipment or support such as light, sound, platforms, or any production needs. Please note amplified sound cannot be used in outdoor locations. Artists are responsible for obtaining permissions for all copyrighted material and music as required by law. AKIMBO is not responsible for securing power sources for indoor or outdoor locations. As a site-specific event, companies are encouraged to embrace creative problem solving in designing your site.
Honorariums
Honorariums are provided to all participating companies. In the past companies/artists received between $200-$350 depending on their level of involvement. Additional honorariums are provided for the Spree and Teaser. Artists may also participate in the Artist Meet & Greets, After Parties, and Community Workshops, although no honorariums are offered for these events.
Conflicts
Your company/group must be available for the full AKIMBO Artwalk timeslot and other required rehearsals, performances, and meetings. Artists should arrive to their venue at least 30 minutes prior to GO time. Performances should begin promptly at the starting time no matter the size of the audience and continue throughout the full scheduled performance block.
AKIMBO 2015 Timeline
March 8 Mandatory Workshop with Liz Lerman
March 27DUE: General Application and Proposal (with work sample)
May 1Artists Notified of Acceptance and Announcement of Venue Matching
May 15DUE: Signed Agreements, Release Forms, and Invoice
Wed June 3
6:00-7:30pm
OR
Sat June 13
10:00-11:30amMandatory AKIMBO Production Meeting, Baltimore Location TBA
August 13Artist Meet & Greet, Station North - Location TBA
August 28AKIMBO Teaser
September 4DUE: Spree Program Information
September 12AKIMBO Artwalk *MAIN EVENT*
September 16AKIMBO Spree
October 1Honorariums Distributed to Artists
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